The Year
by EspeonTrainer
Summary: When Ash's heart is broken, Jessica sends out an ad for a wife. Lillian (renamed Star) arrives. She only has a year to convince Ash to keep her as his wife. But can she do it?
1. Chapter 1: The Advertisement

"Hey Mom, I'm home." Ash said as he came in the house, looking tired.

"Welcome home dear," Jessica smiled warmly as she looked up from the counter. Ash walked to the refrigerator. He looked inside, decided on a bottle of milk. He cracked the seal and chugged it down.

"Ash, don't do that. It's vulgar." Jessica scolded him while measuring out the chicken feed.

"Sorry, Mom." Ash said while taking the milk into his room. Jessica sighed. The boy was becoming too brute-like. He needed a woman's touch. Thankfully, if her plan worked, she'd get her son a new wife to help him get over his old heartbreak. She came up with the plan last week.

_"Mom, Ash snapped at me," Cheryl said, looking at her mother with watery eyes._

_"It's alright, dear." Jessica hugged her tightly, rocking her. "Ash just needs a little time." Cheryl sniffed._

_"I wished he hadn't met her. He looks so sad all the time."_

_"I know, dear." Jessica was then struck by inspiration. What's the best way to get over an old love? To get a new one, obviously! But there were so few girls in Bluebell. Then she would just have to invite a girl. After putting Cheryl to bed, Jessica fired up her old typewriter._

_**Farmer named Ash looking for a wife. Farm experience is a bonus but not mandatory. If interested, please come to Bluebell. At the end of a year, Ash will decide if you are his wife. Reward: $10,000.**_

_Jessica looked at her writing. She hoped it wouldn't sound too needy. But Ash needed a new love. Her mind and heart uneasy, she sent out the Advertisement._

Jessica snapped out of her reverie as Cheryl walked in with the mail. Cheryl walked over to the table, sucking on a lollipop. She placed the mail on the table and watched in amazement as her mom pounced on the letters like a starving jackal.

"Mom? What'cha doin?" Cheryl asked, sucking on the lollipop.

"Mm?" Jessica said absentmindedly. "Nothing, dear...Aha!" She said etastically.

"What?", asked Cheryl, but was shushed by her mother.

_Dear Jessica,_

_Thank you for the letter. My name is Star Miller. I am 16 years old. I will be coming soon to meet your son Ash. Please give him my regards._

_Best Wishes,_

_Star Miller_

Jessica looked at the date in shock. The girl was coming tomorrow! Ash walked back into the room to put the glass in the trash.

"Mom? Why are you staring into space like that?" He asked. Jessica looked at him and sighed. He wouldn't be happy to know that she had set him up. But he would thank her. Eventually.

So what do you guys think? Please review!


	2. Chapter 2: The Arrival

Star was worried. She had never been daring, but taking out an ad to be a wife seemed foolhardy. What if they hurt her? _Come on, Star,_ a voice said, _Don't be such a wimp. You need this, remember? Or do you want to stay with your parents?_ She shuddered slightly. She'd take her chances on being a wife to some farmer than staying at _that_ house.

Her musings were cut short as she narrowly avoided a fox.

"Whoa!" She shouted to calm her white stallion named Light. Light rolled his eyes and gave her a reproachful look, as if to say Watch where you're going, dummy!

"Sorry, Light. I didn't mean to do that to you, boy." She patted his head to calm him down. As she came to the top of the mountain, she saw two people at a crossroads. It was a man and a woman. The man was old and had a cane and a dusty blue jacket. The woman had dark hair and wore a red kimono. She would've looked pretty if it weren't for her fierce scowl. As Star came up to them, she dismounted off of Light. The man and woman looked at her with curiosity.

"I don't suppose you could be young Star who was going to marry Ash?" the man inquired. Star flushed at the reminder of why she was here but nodded.

"It's only a year, sir." she murmured. The man looked satisfied.

"Ho, ho, I knew it!" he said triumphantly. "I am Rutger, the mayor of Bluebell. Ash will be waiting for you. Let's get you to Bluebell." The woman scowled and pointed her finger at Rutger.

"Not so fast, Rutger. If this young girl's going anywhere, it'll be Konohana." She turned to Star.

"What Rutger kindly forgot to tell you is that there's another town: Konohana. I am Ina, the mayor. Now, come along. I'm sure Konohana would suit you better." She smiled kindly. Rutger glared at her.

"Who do you think you are!? Konohana! Better than my lovely village of Bluebell? Preposterous!" The two then glared at each other. Star looked at them nervously. She didn't want to cause a fuss.

"Um...I'm sorry, Ina." Star said apologetically. "But I think I should live in Bluebell." Rutger looked at Ina smugly.

"Of course, of course! Farming means livestock! It was an obvious choice!" Ina looked furious.

"Grrr...of all the...Now what's not to love about Konohana?! You're the second person to pick Bluebell!" Ina stormed away angrily. Star looked at her disappearing figure, confused. _Second person?_ But she didn't have time to wonder about that statement.

"Well now, Star. It's time to go to Bluebell! But before we go, you need to change out of those clothes. They aren't right for Bluebell." Star looked down at her clothes. They seemed fine to her.

Rutger handed her a neatly folded outfit. "This is a Bluebell outfit." He said. "Go ahead and put it on." Star looked at him, shocked. He didn't expect her to _strip_ in front of him, did he? Rutger seemed to realize what he was asking. He turned around.

"Don't worry, I won't look at you." He said.

"Okay." She said timidly. Not convinced, she hid behind Light while she changed her clothes. The clothes were a perfect fit. She quite liked the bandanna. Rutger beamed at her.

"It looks good on you! Starting today, you are a resident of Bluebell!" And so Star, riding on Light, followed Rutger to Bluebell. When they arrived at the entrance, Star couldn't stop herself from staring. The countryside was much more beautiful than her old suburbs. As they entered the town, she noticed an old tunnel. It seemed to be blocked. But before she could ask about it, they stopped in front of a house with a bright red roof.

"Well, here we are, dear. This is Ash's house." Rutger said. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you here." Rutger shook her hand and then left. Star dismounted from Light, staring at the house. It suddenly looked formidable to her. _Go on,_ the voice chided her, _Or are you afraid?_

Hands shaking and stomach churning, Star knocked on the door.


	3. Chapter 3: The Meeting

As soon as she knocked on the door, a woman opened the door immediately as if she was waiting for her. Which she probably was. The woman gave her a kind smile.

"Are you Star Miller?" She asked. Star nodded rapidly.

"Y-Yes!" She said, and winced at how nervous she sounded. _Be more confident!_ the voice chided. Star clutched her sweaty hands onto her dress. The woman beamed.

"Excellent! Cheryl! Ash! Come meet Star!" Jessica shouted. Star could hear feet running. She saw a little girl with pigtails come in. She assumed the girl must be Cheryl. Cheryl glared at her.

"So this is Ash's new wife?" Cheryl said scornfully. "Bet she won't last." Star was taken aback. Had she done anything wrong? Did her breath smell? Was her hair a mess? Star covertly checked herself while Jessica gave Cheryl a smack.

"Ow!" Cheryl said while rubbing her head. "What did you do that for, Mom!?"

"That's for being rude!" Jessica said. While the two bickered, a boy came into the room. Star's vision narrowed. The boy had blonde hair covered by a red cap and blue-green eyes. He wore a white shirt supported by overalls. As he came nearer, Star realized she was slightly taller than him. Ash looked at Star. She had brown hair and brown eyes. Her skin was pale and flushed, probably because of the journey, he guessed. He saw her outfit and knew instantly that Rutger had given it to her. The old man thought that the town should have a uniform, which was a really dumb idea. Rutger probably gave it to her as a last-ditch attempt to inspire the others to wear it.

It was love at first sight for Star.

Not so much for Ash.

Ignoring Star completely, Ash shot a look at his mother.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked Jessica.

"Positive!" Jessica said while smacking a fist to her chest.

"But how are we going to live together? This house is too small for the four of us." Ash smirked.

But to his surprise, his mother smirked back.

"Not to worry! I have a house for the two of you to live together!" Jessica smiled confidently. Ash looked confused.

"But where are you going to find-oh," He realized. "You want us to live at Arachna Farm!? Are you crazy!? That place is haunted!" Ash shouted at his mother. Jessica looked at him disapprovingly.

"Don't raise your voice at me, Ashton!" She scolded him. Ash flushed at the use of his full name, which he despised. "And those stories about the farm being haunted are completely untrue! Now you two head to the farm while I go get ready." Jessica then kicked them out of the house. Star looked nervously at Ash, who was muttering darkly as he kicked a stone. Ash suddenly glanced at her, causing her to flush. Strangely, he looked embarrassed as well. He played with his cap.

"Listen," He said, " I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about my full name." Star looked at him in amazement. He was embarrassed about his name!?

"A-Alright." She said. Ash looked immensely relieved.

"Great!" He said. "So let me show you the way to the farm." Ash strided forward with Star behind him, wondering what the hell had she gotten herself into.


	4. Chapter 4: The Naming

As they neared Arachna Farm, Star gaped at how big it was. There were three buildings surrounded by trees and fields. The one in the middle was obviously the house. It looked small but rustic. She quite liked it. On opposite sides of the house were two buildings, one that looked like a barn and the other...Star didn't know what to make of it. Was it a shed? There were fences making a semicircle in front of the two buildings on the end.

"It's gorgeous..." Star sighed wistfully. Ash frowned at her.

"Don't take it at face value." He warned her. "This house is the place where a brutal murder took place. At night, you can hear spooky noises coming from it, which is why the townsfolk believe it's cursed. But not my mother." Ash sighed. "She thought it would be a great bargain, and she bought the place at a dirt-cheap price." As they came to the front of the house, they stopped.

"We better wait." Ash said. "My mom's going to come." Star nodded, feeling slightly awkward. What was she to say? Nothing, she decided. Ash didn't look as though he was in the mood for small talk. They stood there, each with their private thoughts. Star was thinking about Ash. Ash was thinking about how much of an enormous pain in the ass this was. After a while, they could hear the sound of hooves clopping. They soon saw Jessica come into view, dragging a cow by a rope and holding a chicken in the armpit of her other hand. She came to them, looking flushed.

"I got a cow and a chicken for you as a housewarming gift." Jessica beamed. "I know you two want to start your own farm. Now what would you like to name your chicken, dearie?" She said to Star. Star was surprised. To be able to name her own chicken? She looked at Ash, unsure. But Ash nodded, not surprised.

"Go ahead. I've named my own animals before." He waved a hand at her. Star nodded at walked over to Jessica, who handed her the chicken." Star clutched the chicken in her hand, surprised at how light it was. She looked at it carefully. The chicken clucked at her.

"Umm...I'll name you Roger." She said to the chicken. The chicken clucked at her again. Star heard a SMACK. She turned to the sound of the noise and saw Ash, his face covered by his hand.

"Star...you do the chicken is a girl, right?" Ash said, his face still covered by his hands. "Only female chickens can lay eggs." Star's face flamed.

"Wait! I change my mind!" She said, panicked. Jessica looked at her with pity.

"Too late, dearie. Once the animal hears a name, it's stuck with it forever." She explained. "Why don't you name your cow?"

"Okay..." Said Star, still embarrassed. She looked at the cow. It swished its tail and looked at her with watery eyes.

"Please tell me you're not going to name it Bessie." Ash said. Star stared. How did he know?

"I wasn't going to!" She lied. She thought furiously. Since she couldn't name it Bessie, she'd go with...

"Odette." She said. Ash looked surprised. He didn't expect her to pick such a graceful name for the cow. He was impressed. Jessica looked satisfied.

"Alrighty then! I guess I'll explain how to take care of your animals." She then took Odette into the barn and showed Star how to take care of her. Ash listened attentively, even though he already knew everything. Next Jessica took Roger into the shed. Star listened to another explanation. Satisfied that everything was perfect, Jessica went home, telling them to visit her tomorrow. Ash and Star promised to. Star walked into the house in a stupor. She was tired. Riding on Light, meeting Ash, and taking care of the animals made her exhausted. Ash looked as bad as her. They barely glanced around, too tired to look. They came to the double bed. Star didn't even have the energy to feel embarrassed. They both collapsed on top of the bed and fell asleep, still in their clothes.


	5. Chapter 5: The Seeds

Cam sat at his flower stall, methodically looking at each of each his flowers. Satisfied that they were perfect, he paused and looked around. He saw Georgia and Laney sitting at a table, talking but looking at the entrance to the town. To some it might seem strange, but Cam knew why they were doing it. They were waiting to see Ash's new wife. Cam wasn't surprised that the gossip had spread this fast. After all, Bluebell was a small town. From what he gathered, Jessica had talked about it to Grady, and Georgia had overheard. Since Georgia couldn't keep her mouth shut, within 15 minutes everybody in Bluebell knew that Ash had a new wife.

"Speak of the Devil," said Georgia, pointing. "There they are!" Cam looked, and sure enough, Ash was walking into Bluebell with a girl holding the leash of the horse next to her. He looked at her outfit and smirked. Rutger had obviously gotten to her. As they came nearer, Ash looked like he was in his usual bad temper, but the girl looked thoughtful. Their progress was stopped when Georgia blocked their way. She regarded them with an air of superiority. _Well, of course she would have one,_ Cam thought, she _was_ Ash's ex-girlfriend.

"So," Georgia says, sizing the girl up, "You're Ash's new wife." The girl, surprisingly, doesn't look mad or scared. Instead she blushes, confusing Cam, Laney, and Georgia.

"I'm not his wife. I'll be here for a year, and then it's his decision."The girl claps her hands to her bag, and looks at them nervously. Ash gives Georgia a look of pure disdain.

"Georgia, this is Star." Ash points to the girl. "Star, this is Georgia. As evidenced by her looks, she's the horse girl." Georgia turns red at this statement, and Ash smirks. He brushes past Georgia and sits on the edge of Cam's table.

"So," Cam says. "I take it you're not happy about this?" Ash snorts.

"'Not happy'? That's an understatement." Ash says. "I break up with Georgia, and what does my mom do? She goes and gets me a random girl. I mean, is that normal?" Cam looks at him skeptically.

"She probably had to get you a girl." He says.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, you can't talk to Georgia without snarling at her. And you consider Laney like your sister, right?" Ash nods. "Your mom _had_ to get you a girl or otherwise you'd probably be a miserable old bachelor for life." Ash glared at him but said nothing. He knew that Cam was right. Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Howard. Howard makes a beeline toward Star.

"Ooh. 3. So _you're_ the girl who's going to marry Ash, right? 3" Star's eyes widen, but she nods. _She didn't freak out when she saw him,_ Cam thought, _she handled it better than Ash did_.

Flashback:

_"Hello 3. I'm Howard. So nice to meet you 3." Howard skips to Ash. Ash looks freaked out._

_"Are you high or something?"_

-End Flashback-

Ash walks toward Howard.

"Howard! I need to ask a favor."

"Yes? 3"

"Well..." Ash suddenly looks uncomfortable. "I really don't have much money. In fact, I'm broke. So that's why I want to ask if I could have a loan to eat at your restaurant. I'll pay you back." Ash looks at Howard anxiously. Howard seems delighted.

"Of course 3. You can eat at my shop until you pay me back 3." Relieved, Ash walks back to Cam.

"What was that all about?" Cam asks. Ash answers him.

"Simple. I'm only making about $300 with the animals I have now. And since we need more animals, I figure I could eat at Howard's restaurant. I just wish his food wasn't so expensive."

_Meanwhile..._

"Your name's Star, right? I'm Laney." The blonde-haired girl smiles at her kindly. Star smiles back hesitatingly. Georgia snorts. Laney looks at her sharply.

"Georgia, you shouldn't be this rude." In the force of Laney's glare, Georgia relents.

"Fine, fine... So, why do you want to marry Ash? He's not exactly a prize, is he?"

"Um..." _Why did she want to marry him, anyway?_ Star asks herself. The voice responds instantly. _Isn't it obvious? You want to get away from your parents. And you think he's cute._ Star blushes. Laney and Georgia took her blushing as an answer. But before they could interrogate her, Ash interrupts their conversation.

"Star, are you ready? We've got to go see my mom. We promised, remember?" Star gratefully jumps to her feet. But before they leave, Cam calls them back.

"Ash, Star, come here." Puzzled, they go back to his flower stall. Cam consults an open book and hands Star a bag of seeds.

"What's this?" Star asks.

"A bag of Bells of Ireland seeds. They're best planted in the spring. Every farm needs a good garden, don't you think?" Cam says. Star smiles happily.

"Thank you so much!" Clutching the bag to her chest, she follows Ash to Jessica's house. Cam turns his attention back to the book he opened. On the cover, it says _Floriagraphy : The Language of Flowers_. He goes to a section of where they list what the flowers mean. He runs his finger down the length of the page and stops at one particular entry: _Bells of Ireland :Good Luck_.

"You're gonna need a lot of good luck to put up with Ash, Star." Cam murmurs to himself.


End file.
